The material is compiled by assistant lawyer Sofia Kurochka.

 

Energy

Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/826 of 17 April 2023 laying down eco-design requirements for off mode, standby mode, and networked standby energy consumption of electrical and electronic household and office equipment pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulations (EC) No 1275/2008 and (EC) No 107/2009 (Text with EEA relevance)

Adopted: 17 April 2023

The revised rules introduce a number of amendments to the 2008 eco-design regulation on standby, off mode and networked standby, and extend the scope of the rules, for example now including products with a low voltage external power supply such as small network equipment (including Wi-Fi routers and modems) or wireless speakers.

See also: Press release

 

Taxation

Commission Decision (EU) 2023/829 of 17 April 2023 on relief from import duties and VAT exemption on importation granted for goods to be distributed or made available free of charge to persons fleeing the military aggression in Ukraine and to persons in need in Ukraine (notified under document C(2023) 2490)

Adopted: 17 April 2023

Decision extends the current possibility to temporarily waive customs duties and VAT on the importation from non-EU countries of food, blankets, tents, electric generators and other life-saving equipment destined for Ukrainians affected by the war.

The extension of this measure remains in place until 31 December 2023 and will apply in Estonia, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

See also: Press release

 

Consumer protection

Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Council Directives 2001/110/EC relating to honey, 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption, 2001/113/EC relating to fruit jams, jellies and marmalades and sweetened chestnut purée intended for human consumption, and 2001/114/EC relating to certain partly or wholly dehydrated preserved milk for human consumption

Published: 21 April 2023

EU commission proposed to revise the existing marketing standards applicable to a number of agri-food products, such as fruit and vegetables, fruit juices and jams, honey, poultry or eggs. The proposed revisions should help consumers make more informed choices for a healthier diet and contribute to prevent food waste.

See also: Press release

 

Competition

Simplified procedures for reviewing mergers

Published: 20 April 2023

The European Commission adopted a package to further simplify its procedures for reviewing concentrations under the EU Merger Regulation. The package includes:

  • (i) a revised Merger Implementing Regulation,
  • (ii) a Notice on Simplified Procedure, and
  • (iii) a Communication on the transmission of documents.

The package aims to simplify and expand the scope of the Commission’s review process of unproblematic mergers. It also seeks to reduce the amount of information required for notifying transactions in all cases and to optimise the transmission of documents.

See also: Press release

Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/822 of 17 April 2023 on amending Regulation (EU) No 461/2010 as regards its period of application (Text with EEA relevance)

Updated Supplementary guidelines on vertical restraints in agreements for the sale and repair of motor vehicles and for the distribution of spare parts for motor vehicles 2023/C 133 I/01

Adopted: 17 April 2023

The European Commission prolonged the Commission Regulation (EU) No 461/2010 (Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation) for five years until 31 May 2028. It also updated the Supplementary Guidelines for the sector. The revised Guidelines will help companies in the automotive sector assess the compatibility of their vertical agreements with EU competition rules, while ensuring that aftermarket operators, including garages, continue to have access to vehicle-generated data necessary for repair and maintenance.

See also: Press release

 

Sanctions

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/755 of 13 April 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine

Adopted: 13 April 2023

The Council added the Wagner Group and RIA FAN to the list of those subject to EU restrictive measures for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. 

 

Data protection

Proposed Regulation on the Cyber Solidarity Act

Published: 18 April 2023

The EU Commission’s proposal for the EU Cyber Solidarity Act aims to strengthen capacities in the EU to detect, prepare for and respond to significant and large-scale cybersecurity threats and attacks. The proposal  includes a European Cybersecurity Shield, made of Security Operation Centres interconnected across the EU, and a comprehensive Cybersecurity Emergency Mechanism to improve the EU’s cyber posture

See also: Press release

 

Banking & Finance

Communication on the review of the crisis management and deposit insurance framework contributing to completing the Banking Union

Published: 18 April 2023

The European Commission adopted a proposal to adjust and further strengthen the existing EU bank crisis management and deposit insurance (CMDI) framework. The proposal will enable authorities to organise an orderly market exit for failing banks of any size and business model, including smaller players. In particular, it will facilitate the use of industry-funded safety nets to shield depositors in banking crises, such as by transferring them from an ailing bank to a healthy one.

See also: Press release

 

Infringement procedure

April Infringements package

Published: 19 April 2023

The European Commission has published its regular package of decisions on infringements for the month of April. In some of the more notable cases, the Commission:

  • initiated infringement proceedings against, among others, Estonia (INFR(2023)2020), Latvia (INFR(2023)2025) and Lithuania (INFR(2023)2023) for failing to transpose in a fully conform manner all provisions of the Seasonal Workers Directive.
  • initiated infringement proceedings against, among others, Latvia (INFR(2023)2028), and Portugal (INFR(2023)2030) on the grounds of their incorrect transposition of the 5th Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Directive (Directive (EU) 2018/843).
  • sent two reasoned opinions to Latvia (INFR(2022)0129; INFR(2022)0132) for failure to update its national laws and comply with EU rules on environmental noise.
  • sent a reasoned opinion to Estonia (INFR(2019)2109) for its failure to bring its national legislation in line with the Directive on environmental impact assessment (Directive 2011/92/EU);
  • opened an infringement procedure against, among others, Estonia(INFR (2023)2013) for failing to fully transpose the EU rules on accessibility of products and services for persons with disabilities (Directive (EU) 2019/882).

Other

Regulation (EU) 2023/839 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 April 2023

amending Regulation (EU) 2018/841 as regards the scope, simplifying the reporting and compliance rules, and setting out the targets of the Member States for 2030, and Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 as regards improvement in monitoring, reporting, tracking of progress and review (Text with EEA relevance).